shove

shove — verb

1. to use sudden strong physical force against a person or object, making them move

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to use sudden strong physical force against a person or object, making them move forward, aside, or away, often in a rough or angry way.

Example

The angry customer shoved the door open and stormed out of the shop.

shove + object + adjective complement (open)

Kabir shoved his way through the crowd to reach the ticket counter.

shove + possessive + way + preposition

Common collocations
  • shove aside
  • shove out of the way
  • shove through the crowd
  • shove past someone
  • shove open / shut
  • shove someone roughly
Synonyms
  • push

    general term for applying force; shove is always rougher and more sudden

  • thrust

    more directed, often with a specific purpose; less emotional than shove

  • jostle

    to push roughly in a crowd, often unintentionally or as part of a group

Antonyms
  • pull

    to move something toward yourself rather than away

  • tug

    a sharp pull in the opposite direction

Grammar Patterns

shove + object + adverb/preposition

shove + adverb/preposition (no object)

Common Mistakes

He shoved me gently to get my attention.
He nudged me gently to get my attention.
shove always implies strong, rough force; use nudge or tap for gentle contact.
She shoved the door softly closed.
She pushed the door softly closed.
shove cannot describe a gentle or careful action.

2. to place something into a bag, drawer, pocket, or other space quickly and withou

2.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to place something into a bag, drawer, pocket, or other space quickly and without care, often because you are in a hurry or want to hide it.

Example

Obi shoved the crumpled letter into his pocket before anyone noticed.

shove + object + into + container (pocket)

Apinya shoved all her clothes into the suitcase without folding a single item.

Common collocations
  • shove into a bag
  • shove into a drawer
  • shove under the bed
  • shove in a pocket
  • shove behind something
Synonyms
  • stuff

    emphasizes filling a space tightly; more informal than shove

  • cram

    to force something into a space that is too small

  • jam

    to push something into a tight space with effort, often causing it to stick

Antonyms
  • arrange

    to put things in neat or proper order

  • organize

    to place items systematically

Grammar Patterns

shove + object + into/in/under + object

Usage Note

The object is typically placed into a confined space. This sense often carries a tone of impatience, haste, or secrecy.

Common Mistakes

She shoved the flowers carefully into a vase.
She arranged the flowers carefully in a vase.
shove implies careless or hasty placement, never delicate arranging.

3. to slide your body sideways on a seat, bench, or bed so that there is room for a

3.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to slide your body sideways on a seat, bench, or bed so that there is room for another person to sit or lie beside you.

Example

Liam asked his brother to shove over so he could sit on the sofa too.

shove over — most common particle for this sense

Hannah shoved up on the bench to make space for an elderly woman.

Common collocations
  • shove over
  • shove up
  • shove across the seat
  • shove over a bit / a little
Synonyms
  • scoot

    to move a short distance sideways; softer and more polite than shove

  • shift

    to change position slightly; neutral register

  • budge

    to move slightly, most common in negative statements ('wouldn't budge')

Grammar Patterns

shove over / up / across

Usage Note

Almost always used with a particle — over, up, or across. The particle clarifies the direction of movement. Not used transitively ('shove someone') in this sense.

Common Mistakes

Please shove yourself to the right.
Please shove over to the right.
the reflexive pronoun is not used with this sense; use a particle instead.
Phrasal verbs

shove off

phrasal verb

to leave a place, especially in a rude, abrupt, or unfriendly way; also used as a command telling someone to go away.

When the argument got too heated, Valentina told her brother to shove off and mind his own business.

The boat was ready, so the sailors shoved off from the dock and headed out to sea.

shove it

phrasal verb

a rude expression used to show that you strongly reject or refuse to accept something, usually accompanied by a dismissive tone.

When the boss offered him a low wage, Kabir told him to take the job and shove it.

The customer was so angry at the poor service that he said 'shove it' and walked out of the store.

shove up

phrasal verb

To move sideways on a seat to make space for someone else.

Maya asked her brother to shove up so she could sit down.

Can you shove up a bit? I need room for my bag.

Idioms

shove it

idiom

A rude way of saying you refuse to accept or do something.

When Tom asked for help, Sara told him to shove it.

Did you really tell your boss to shove that report?

shove — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Shove, push, thrust, jostle, and nudge all describe applying force to move something, but they differ in strength, intention, and register. Push is the most neutral and general word — you push a door, a cart, or a person without implying anger. A shove is always rougher and more sudden than a push; it suggests impatience or hostility. Thrust is more directed and deliberate, often with the hands or an object (thrust a sword, thrust a letter into someone's hand). Jostle describes the kind of pushing that happens in a crowd — not necessarily aggressive, but bumpy and close-contact. Nudge is the gentlest of the group — a light touch, usually with an elbow, to get attention or suggest movement. For example: 'Pedro shoved past the people in line,' whereas 'a stranger nudged him to point out the sign.'

shove ↗push ↗thrustjostlenudge ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Shove comes from Old English 'scufan', meaning to push away or thrust, with roots in the Proto-Germanic 'skeuban' (to push). A close cousin is German 'schieben' (to push or shove). The word has kept its core sense of forceful pushing for over a thousand years, while developing softer extensions like 'shove over' (make room) in modern informal English.